The governor said when he made the comments to the church audience he assumed he was speaking as a private citizen and not as the Governor of Alabama.

Bentley reiterated a pledge he made during his inaugural address that he would govern fairly.

"As I have said before, I am the Governor of all of Alabama, regardless of race, socio-economic status or religion. I swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of Alabama, and that includes protecting our right to worship as we please. I will always defend our freedom of religion."

When asked at a press conference following the meeting, if he considered those attending to be his brothers and sisters, Bentley responded "Yes, yes I do."